2024 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Antonio Alfano, DL, Lackawanna College

• Name: Antonio Alfano 
• Position: DL
• College: Lackawanna College, Colorado (2020), Alabama (2019)
• Height: 6’5”
• Weight: 270
• Twitter: @antonio43863821
• Instagram: @Officialtone_

What makes you a top prospect at your position in the 2024 NFL Draft? 

God blessed me with an amazing body type that NFL teams want. I’m in the best shape of my life.  My flexibility allows me to do a lot of special things on the football field especially rushing the passer. Sometimes freaky at moments. 

I’m training with a focus on making sure my pro day numbers are the best they possibly can be which should be amongst the top prospects at my position in the country. I think when teams see my athleticism and testing numbers up close they will see how hard I’ve worked to put myself in this position to be a top prospect. 

At what age were you first interested in the sport of football? 

I was about 4 years old when I first started playing football and I’ve loved the game ever since. 

What is one thing that NFL teams should know about you? 

When I was in college I got diagnosed with epilepsy and I got a lot of questions about whether I could still play. I found the right doctors who helped me come up with a treatment plan and I was able to have very successful seasons after that with zero issues.  I want all NFL teams to know that I’m cleared and that I’m happy to answer any questions about that or anything else they want to know. I love the game and will do anything I need to to make sure I’m one of the best. 

If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be? 

I would donate to helping clean up our planet and helping the environment. I want to help protect the ocean and find out ways all of us can help slow Co2 emissions so we can help make sure our planet is preserved for the youth. 

What is the best advice you have ever received? 

“Not everyone that plays this sport loves it as much as you do, just focus on what you can do and everyone else will follow.” –  which was from my high school coach at Colonia High School Coach Don 

Who was your childhood hero? 

Lawrence Taylor 

Who is the most underrated teammate in your locker room at your school? 

I think the most underrated is Terrez worthy who played Running back at Lackawanna who gets underrated just because of his size. In all my years of playing I’ve never seen anyone run the ball as hard as he does. Hes really fast and actually runs a 4.3-4.4 second 40 yard dash. I’m proud of him because he just picked up his first big Division 1 offer from Temple University. 

What is your biggest pet peeve? 

My biggest pet peeve is when I see a teammate struggling or maybe a workout is a little too tough on them and they just give up and quick instead of pushing themselves. When that happens I try to pick them up and make sure they’re working hard because to be successful as a team we all need to give it our best effort. 

Overcoming adversity is what defines character, what was the hardest moment in your life to overcome? 

One of the hardest moments in my life to overcome was during my 2 years in junior college where I had to find myself as a person. Playing JuCo ball can tell you whether you really love football or not or if you just love the other stuff football can give you as there isn’t a lot of extra stuff like facilities or anything that a D1 program lifestyle has. I got close to God during my JuCo years and my relationship with Him helped me discover myself.  

I started focusing on the game of football learning more about my X’s and O’s and film study because I knew this was an opportunity to focus on improving my game and being a leader for my teammates. Whenever I stepped on the field I knew it was a blessing so I had to go 110% every play to get my best out of every practice to learn more about the game. 

Tell me something about your school and why it is so special to you?

Lackawanna College was special to me because of my head coach. Coach Mark Duda, he played 9 years in the NFL as a Defensive end/Tackle and he’s helped develop a lot of players into NFL players like Kyzir White and Kevin White and also Jy’air brown and Jaquan Brisket. He was my head coach as well as my defensive line coach and he helped me develop into an even better football player, leader, and teammate, and a man off the field as well. 

What is your favorite snack food? 

Strawberry or chocolate milk (Promise Land chocolate milk) 

What is the best part of football? 

To me, the best part about football is how every single person on a team needs to work together, be on the same page every single play, and play hard for the guy next to them so we can all reach one common goal. It test you in the many ways life does like fighting through adversity and getting through tough times and teaches you valuable lessons about sacrifice and getting along with people whether that be on the field or in life. 

If you could sell yourself in one sentence what would you say? 

I am a freak athlete who knows how to lead and I am committed to team success always. 

If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be? 

I would say Lawrence Taylor because I play with a lot of emotion but I use it and never let it get me in bad situations where I could hurt my team. He is one of the best players ever and there isn’t anyone in the league right now who made the kind of impact he did and played the same way he did. Maybe the closest would be Micah Parsons because his motor is comparable, but I’m a bit bigger than Micah in height and weight but think I have similar speed and ability to get off the ball and be moved around the field like he can be used. 

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? 

Lawrence Taylor because he is my favorite player of all time and I try to model my game after him so I want him to tell me what he sees in my game and have him give me all the keys and advice to becoming elite, Muhammad Ali is my favorite overall athlete of all time because of how many times he won the heavyweight championship and how many times he lost it whether it be political or anything else and battled back to get it. I also really like how he was a great advocate for the welfare of people outside of the ring as well as all of these things that he did. I had some hard challenges and things to come back from too so I would like to ask him what kept him going even after defeat, and most importantly to me, ask him what can I do to help better this world and leave an impact on people’s lives as he did. Last but not least, Bruce Lee because of his mindset and how he mastered the control of the mind and that he had the right way to think about things to achieve whatever he wanted to do to be great at what he does. I would like to ask him some things so I can make sure how I can harness that mindset and be able to take advantage of every single moment as he did.